Do you agree with Pnoy’s real Justice?

President Benigno Aquino III spent Independence Day with the people of NagaCity, Camarines Sur where he delivered a speech emphasising what justice meant.

The president started his speech by remembering the heroes of the revolution, including the 15 martyred Bicolanos who were killed because of their ties to the Katipunan. The president asked ‘Whatever happened to due process?’ He pointed out that the martyrs were sentenced only after one day of trial, something he described as a ‘mockery of due process and human rights’ and an injustice.

He then compared the fate of the 15 martyrs to the ‘several prominent personalities… charged by the Ombudsman on the issue of the plunder of PDAF.’ He said that compared to those who tried the martyrs, his government ‘chose to pursue the truth by using the proper system.’

For the president, the ‘proper system’ consists of ‘an investigation… evidence [that] continues to be collected ultimately [leading] to the filing of cases.

‘If our intention was to simply damage the reputation of the accused, [then] we could have rushed this from the onset, bringing to court accusations without sufficient proof.’

The president also cited the injustice that had been imposed by Ferdinand Marcos on his family: ‘My family’s legacy taught me the importance of fighting for equality to break the cycle of vicious injustice.

‘As heirs of the freedom that those who came before us fought for, each and every Filipino has a responsibility to ensure that our country will never return to the conditions of the past.’ He cited the efforts of modern-day heroes working with the government as examples of breaking the cycle of injustice:

the marines stationed in Ayungin

EDSA 1 protesters

NagaCity’s own honest public servant Jesse Robredo

He added that the battle against corruption and injustice can ultimately bring progress to the country, progress in the form of what the Bicol region will experience soon:

BicolInternationalAirport in Daraga

Migrants Resource Centre in Naga to boost the qualifications of OFWS

extension of the Philippine National Railways (PNR)

But even as the president championed his government’s ideals of justice in NagaCity, protesters in Manila demanded that the president also deliver justice to his erring allies who have also allegedly benefitted from the PDAF scam.

Protesters who marched to Malacañang yesterday demanded that President Aquino should prosecute all lawmakers who stole from state funds intended for public service, whether opposition or ally.

Air your opinion and share with us whether you agree with the President or not at the comment box below.